The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-04-21
A. BRAZILIAN BALL
Description Of the Salient Features Of
Such an Entertainment.

Description of the Salient Features OF
Such an Entertainments
A kind of ball at the Colonia Thereza
village, situated in fertile region. yet
stagnant from lack of communication
with the outer world, is thus de
scribed:
"On entering the house at which the
entertainment was to be held we i'm
hediately found ourselves in a large,
mud floor room, ranged round the walls
of which were all the youth and beauty
of the village, smartly dressed in clean
cotton prints, all evidently got up for
the occasion. In the center of this
room, which was bare of furniture, the
young men of the village. to the num-
Der of about two dozen, were grouped
together, chatting and smoking cigar
cites, with their hats on theil heads,
to all appearances utterly Oblivi-
pus of the presence of the ladies.
Oar entry seemed to be the signal
for the commencement of the enter
tainment. Two banjos struck up.
and now, for the first time, the men
began to turn their attention to the
denure but conscious-looking maidens
Wb5 had, up to the present moment,
been silently awaiting their pleasure.
One by one each man chose n part
ner till ten couples were made up.
These ten couples now formed cir
Gle I'm the middle of the loom and
the dance commenced.
"Nith slow and rhythmic beat the
men first began TO keep time to the
banios, alternately advancing toward
and retiring from the center OF the
the ring, the women also stamping
with their feet, but not advancing. At
the end of each dozen bars or so of the
music, III with one accord, both men
and women, gave three loud claps of
the hands, which was the signal for
the moment of a greater display of
energy in the movements OF the
body, and more vigor
Gus stamping of feet upon
the hdfI null floor. All at once one
of the men dancers, in a rich. full
voice, struck up an 'impfomptu' stanza
in beautiful time and harmony With the
music, the last words of which were
taken up and repeated in chorus by all
Once more vocal silence. while the
mon0tOnous tu1n. tum. tum OF the
banjOs. and the noise of the stamping
of feet went on as before. Then, again.
d second, Wild impromptu stanza burst
forth from another Of the dancers. again
to be taken UP in chorus by ali. We
observed on cdcb Of these occasions
that the dancers all turDed their eyes
upon us, as though we were the per-
sons they we're addressing. We pres
emily found this to be the case, one OF
our interpreters, who was present,
coming up and informing MS that we
were being invited to join the dance.
Nothing 10th, we each chose willing
damsel from the still unexbausted row
of wallflowers. and Joined the untiring
ring in the middle of the ROOM.
During what seemed intermihabls
minutes, we, too. had now to beat our
feet upon the hard floor, swing our
arms and bodies, and clap our hands.
As the dance went on the excitement
waxed stronger, the impromptu
shouts became yells. the once graceful
swaying of the bodies of the perform
ers was changed into violent cOntor-
tions, and all the characteristics of
North American Indian war dance
camel nto play. The atmosphere of the
room was full of the smoke of cigar
cites, through which the dim beeswax
tapers. here and there stuck upon the
face of the walls around, cast lurid
glare. Suddenly the music ceased;
the tired fingers of the minstrels had
given way at last, and the dance
abruptly came to conclusion. &C c.
AndreUS, in Brazil.